Parenthood
by TellMeMore90
Summary: How our favourite couples deal with impending parenthood - Connor/Abby, Matt/Emily and Jess/Becker with a smattering of Lester and others along the way - I've published the final 3 chapters plus the epilogue to complete the story
1. Connor and Abby

**Disclaimer: Primeval and its characters belong to Impossible Pictures. No copyright infringement is intended.**

**A/N - This chapter contains a small nod to the gloriously scrummy Tryptichverse stories by the incredible iEvenstarEstel and friends. **

**This chapter has been modified slightly to fit in with another of my stories called 'Therapy'  
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**Connor and Abby**

Abby looked at the stick and the little word 'positive'. Her hand flew to her mouth and tears sprung to her eyes. She let out a little gasp. Connor, sat on the loo seat lid, a coiled spring of anticipation, leapt up at her reaction placing his hands on her waist. "Is it …?" She nodded and his face exploded in a massive grin as he hugged her tight, picking her up and swinging her round as he placed kisses on her forehead, nose and mouth.

"Oh sweetheart, that's amazing. We've gotta tell Mam she's gonna be a granny, and Jess she's gonna be an aunty, and, and Emily and Matt and Becker and Lester, and, and …."

"And Jack." Her voice was flat. "He ought to know he's gonna be an uncle I suppose."

"Yeah well, I'm sure he'll rise to the occasion." His voice sounded upbeat and optimistic. His inner voice said "not that that's bloody likely."

"Come on, let's celebrate!" beamed Connor, placing his wife back on her feet and bringing the tone back up to one of joy. "You have your shower and I'll feed Rex, then we can go to that little café on the corner and have decaf coffee and bagels. If you ask very nicely I may let you have a lemon and poppy seed muffin." He kissed her nose again, took the tester stick from her hand and gently eased her in the direction of the shower. "I'll just put this somewhere safe for posterity" he said indicating the stick.

Abby stripped off her clothes and turned on the shower. She looked at herself in the mirror, rubbing her hand across her stomach. She turned sideways and surveyed her profile in the mirror. Still flat, but not for long. She'd have to modify her exercise routine to compensate.

She climbed in to the shower and began lathering her hair. She should be elated, but instead she felt flat. She and Connor were having a baby! A beautiful bouncing baby with the man she adored. Who'd have ever thought it?

Well, exactly, who? Certainly not her mother who had abandoned them when they were little more than babies themselves. And certainly not her step-father who called her worthless, told her no-one would ever want her except for sex, who hit her and, once she was old enough decided to show her exactly what he thought she was good for – it took nearly two years, but thank heavens a teacher finally spotted the signs and managed to get them out of there. She suspected Jack wouldn't care less either. He was too selfish. Narcissistic Personality Disorder is what they had called it – nice to have an official name for 'selfish shit'. What it did mean was that he would never change and could never be trusted. So she had Connor and that was it – Connor, his mother and the guys at the ARC. Well that was better than no-one and at least this baby would be loved, by them anyway.

Abby had no fear of the biological process of child birth. She had years of experience with the animals at Wellington Zoo and then the menagerie. She knew the pitfalls and potential problems to look out for, she knew the vitamins to take, the foods to avoid and how to take care of herself. She was already in good condition, so the baby already had the perfect environment to grow strong and (hopefully) healthy.

It was the emotional side that worried her. She had no role models. She'd never experienced good parenting and she knew in her heart how she was quick to anger and subject to mood swings. She worried that the strain of raising a child would cause her to snap and desert her child. Could she end up like her mother or worse, like her step-father – violent and abusive. She knew that abused children could in turn become abusers.

She walked into the kitchen, dressed but pensive. Connor spun round ready to kiss her and head for the shower when he saw her face. "What's wrong love?"

"I'm worried Con. I don't know if I'm doing the right thing, if I'll be a good mother. I didn't exactly have the greatest role models and you know what my temper's like. I'm frightened Con that I'm going to screw this up, that I'm going to screw our kid up, or worse, abandon them." She dissolved into heart wrenching sobs as Connor wrapped her in his arms and rubbed her back to calm her.

Connor let the worst of the sobs subside as he cooed and calmed her with whispers of love. When she had quieted he drew her to the sofa and sat her down. "Abby love, you're gonna be a great mam. I've seen you with Rex and the animals in the menagerie. Just think how much you love all your pets. And all the creatures that come through the anomalies – you're so protective of them. Even the ones that are trying to eat me!" He grinned at her and ran his thumb down her cheek to reassure her.

"You have so much love to give, if you'd only trust yourself. Look how much love and patience you give me and I'm the biggest disaster area going. Please trust your instincts love. I know you'll be brilliant, best mam in town, no question." He gave her a quick hug and a gentle kiss. "Now, shower for me and then bagels. You OK sweetheart?"

Abby nodded and watched Connor skid towards the shower whilst she pondered what he said. He was right. She must trust her instincts and not let ungrounded fear of the unknown stop her from enjoying this. She smiled to herself and rubbed her hand in small circles on her belly. "I _am_ going to be the best mum in town Little One, no question. Your Daddy said so."

-0-0-

Connor did a little dance as he stripped off his boxers and dressing gown. He couldn't control his delight. Catching sight of himself in the bathroom mirror he scrunched in half, balled his hands into fists and did a little jog on the spot, pumping his arms in time, the grin on his face threatening to make his jaw ache.

He climbed into the shower and began to spread lather on himself all the while singing "I'm gonna be a daddy, I'm gonna be a daddy."

As he shaved especially for the occasion he tried out names "Pater – no, too severe. Sir – huh since when. Father – hmmm no. Pops – yuck. Pa – also yuck. Papa – hmmmmm maybe. Daddy – oh yes yes yes!"

Connor bounced around the bedroom picking out clothes. He stuck his old trilby on his head, just because he could "I'm gonna be a daddy, I'm gonna be a daddy."

He surveying himself in the mirror and, satisfied with what he saw, he pointed at his reflection "You're gonna be a daddy."

He met Abby in the kitchen. She looked a lot happier now – more settled.

"We OK love? Ready to go?"

"Yeah Con, we're totally OK." She leant forward and kissed him gently before grabbing his hand and the house keys and leading him towards the front door. Abby Temple and her puppy-dog husband.

**tbc**

**Please be kind enough to review - I really appreciate your opinions**


	2. Emily and Matt

**A/N – This chapter refers to another of my stories "Reflections". You don't need to read it to understand this chapter.**

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**Emily and Matt**

Emily held the stick gingerly between thumb and forefinger and re-read the little word 'positive'. She let out a little hiss before her mouth set in a tight and determined line. Well, there it was. She tried not to let the fear envelope her, but she could feel it beginning to build - a tight knot in her stomach. She threw the stick into the bin, just wanting to be rid of it.

She walked out of the bathroom and joined Matt in the living room. He was sat on the sofa, eyes cast down and hands clenched. As she approached he looked up, trying to read the answer in her face. "Well, are we …?" He left the question hanging, unwilling to complete the sentence.

"Yes." Emily stood for a moment, blinking to try to hold back the emotion that was threatening to consume her, but that one word caused the dam in her self-control to break. She collapsed into Matt's arms in floods of tears. She was so frightened that she was about to lose everything she had so recently gained.

"There, there, don't cry. It'll be OK. We'll work this out." Matt tried to console her but he was terrified too.

Emily had been born in 1842, Matt in 2114. There was over 270 years between their ages although realistically there was only four years between them. But that 270 years made all the difference.

Emily had been raised in a time when childbirth was an obligation for any married woman, but could also be a death sentence. When a woman married her first duty to her husband, especially amongst ladies of her position in society, was to bear him a child, preferably a son and heir.

Death rates during childbirth for mother and child were extremely high. Miscarriage and infant mortality, even amongst the aristocracy, was devastatingly common. And even if a woman survived the birth of her first child, she was likely to become pregnant again, and again, and again. With little reliable contraception women either became a human brood-mare or stood by in stoic acceptance whilst their husbands took their pleasures elsewhere in order to spare their wives the ordeal of constant pregnancy. That in itself had the inherent risks of disease and illegitimate offspring, not to mention living with the knowledge that the man you were supposed to love and respect was consorting with other women, or possibly men.

Despite having been in the 21st century for several years and knowing that medical advances greatly reduced the risks of childbirth, the word 'positive' had brought all the ingrained fears of her youth flooding back.

Emily had always been a strong willed and practical woman. When she had first arrived through the anomaly and had been taken to hospital for recovery the doctors had carried out a raft of blood tests and physical exams at Lester's insistence. They hadn't known why these were required or why extra blood was drawn and sent to the ARC. Lester had wanted to confirm that his new visitor hadn't brought any prehistoric guests with her.

Once Emily had returned from 1868 and had begun to live permanently in the modern era, she had signed herself up with a GP at the first opportunity and, amongst inoculations and examinations, had requested that they run a full batch of STD tests. She was aware of the diseases that men could pick up from their dalliances and she wanted to make sure any indiscretion of Henry's didn't haunt herself and Matt. She was greatly relieved when she was given the all clear. If she chose, she was free to give herself to Matt without concern for the past.

In this modern era she was a liberated woman, unfettered by Victorian conventions of position, society and morality. She revelled in the freedoms available to her that she had so longed for in her youth. There were also the freedoms she had never dreamed of, and with Matt as her guide she chose to explore them fully.

But this new event in their lives terrified her. When they had discussed the possibility that she might be pregnant, she had not expressed her fear. But now it was washing over her in waves.

Would she survive? Would her child? Would Matt want more children? What if he left her? Would she have to give up her new-found independence? She was assailed by fear of an unknown future.

Matt too was terrified of the future, but for a different reason. He was terrified of the impact on the time line. This child was never meant to be. He was from the future and she the past, they should never have met let alone produced a child. He couldn't work his mind around the implications of what they had done. "Stupid, stupid, stupid" he mentally berated himself.

They sat there, clinging to each other and crying for some while, neither capable of expressing their fears, but each trying to console the other whilst drawing comfort from their shared misery.

After a while, Emily shook her head and pulled herself together. "This is ridiculous and achieves nothing." She stood up abruptly, walked to the sink and washed her face, drying it with some paper towel. "We need to consider this rationally. We both have fears, so let us analyse them and determine a course of action." She took Matt's hand and led him to the kitchen table. Ever practical, she fetched glasses of water, pens and paper and a box of tissues.

"Very well. We discuss ALL our fears and concerns openly and honestly." And so they began.

Emily voiced all her fears and doubts. Her ingrained terrors and her worries about what it meant for herself and their relationship. She would not give up her independence and her work at the ARC. She did not want to be trapped into the constraints of dutiful wife and mother as her own mother had been. And she could not bear the thought of Matt taking his affections elsewhere because she was with child.

Matt was horrified that she could doubt his fidelity, but understood why she felt the way she did. He assured her that she could be sure of his affections and that he would not stray, that her pregnancy could only make her more beautiful to him. He mentally planned a practical demonstration later to allay her fears in that area. As to her other fears, they could all be addressed, but first they had to decide how to proceed. She needed to understand fully the implications of what they had done.

After taking a long drink from the glass of water, Matt finally voiced his fears for time and the future. His stupidity in allowing this to happen, in not taking better precautions. Emily soothed him as she realised why he was so scared. He had been rigorously trained since childhood to do nothing to contaminate the time line beyond the confines of his Mission. He wasn't even supposed to survive once the Mission was complete – each operative was trained to self-terminate. He had already broken orders just by remaining alive. "But Matt, stopping New Dawn has already contaminated the time line – we have changed everything. Your whole reason for being here was to re-write history to save humanity. How do you know that meeting me isn't part of that, that this child isn't in some way meant to be?"

Matt shook his head "I don't, but I don't know if I dare risk it. I've done so much already."

"Matt, you have done so much good, your continued existence could not possibly make things any worse. The very people who gave you these orders do not yet exist and may never exist as you knew them. Please do not feel guilty that you lived." She held his face in her hands and looked pleadingly into his eyes, terrified that she might still lose him.

Matt looked at her in despair as his years of training waged war with his own desire for a life beyond the Mission. After all he and the team had already done to change the course of history, could his actions now really make things any worse?

His mind was running wildly over permutations in time. He was supposed to complete the Mission alone. Perhaps involving the others had changed everything, after all it was people from this time who had stopped New Dawn. That terrible future still existed when Connor was sucked into the anomaly, but perhaps _his_ rescue and using _his_ prototype to destroy the anomaly had changed everything. Perhaps … perhaps … perhaps. His brain ran round and round unable to grasp onto anything tangible except for Emily and the baby – his baby.

Emily let go of his face, stood abruptly, then, steeling herself, set her mouth in a determined line as she made a decision. "Very well. As neither of us is comfortable with this pregnancy and we both feel that it is the wrong thing to do, I will make an appointment with my doctor and have the child terminated."

"NO!" Matt leapt forward, grabbing Emily's shoulders and holding her tight. His eyes were pleading and desperate. The primal fear of losing his child suddenly overcame all his other concerns.

"I see. So this child _is_ important to you. Very well. It would appear that we will have to start growing accustomed to being parents. I am apparently going to be a mother." Unconsciously Emily's hand had strayed to her abdomen and was slowly rubbing circles upon it. Matt's eyes drifted to her hand and watched her delicate fingers as they suddenly stilled and came to rest as Emily became aware of what she had been doing.

She looked down at where her hand lay then slowly looked up at Matt, as his eyes, too, moved from her hand to look at the face of the woman he loved with all his heart. Their eyes locked and for what seemed an eternity neither moved. Slowly he began the ghost of a smile and once he started he couldn't stop. Emily's eyes went wide then she too began to smile, then to giggle, then to laugh. Her eyes twinkled and tears of joy began to fall as Matt grabbed her into a hug and joined her in her elation.

All thought of their fears dissipated as they laughed, kissed, hugged and whirled around their flat. This _WAS_ meant to be. No matter how impossible it may seem, it was really happening, and they were going to embrace it, together, as they had everything else. Nothing else mattered.

As Matt twirled he thought of Gideon. He wondered whether his father would be angry with him for having done everything wrong. He had disregarded all his training to achieve his goal. He had confided in others, become involved with Emily and was now having a child.

_"Oh Matt, you should be more careful. But if it is a boy name him for me and tell him of his grandfather."_

**tbc**

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**What do you think? I'd love to know**


	3. Jess and Becker

**A/N – this chapter contains a nod to the wonderful 'Just Pretend' by rubycaspar.**

**I'm publishing this a little earlier than intended, but I thought InvisibleBlade deserved it :)**

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**Jess and Becker**

Jess hated being ill. She'd been sent home from work yesterday with a stomach bug. The nausea and vomiting were disgusting, but worse was not knowing what was wrong or how to put it right. Being out of control was not something that Jess enjoyed. As she looked at the stick in her hand, a smile returned to her face. Now she knew what was causing her nausea she could do something about it.

Returning to the living room she picked up her phone and called Becker. "Hils, are you still on site? How did the anomaly go? Are you coming home soon?"

"Yes darling. A routine call. No incursion and no casualties. How are you feeling?"

"Better thanks. Quite hungry in fact. Do you want to pick up a chinese on the way home, but no prawns."

"Yep if you're sure. Do you fancy wine or beer?"

"Neither thanks. Hurry home, I've missed you."

Jess sat on the sofa and ran scenarios of how she would break the news of his impending fatherhood. She could leap at him and kiss him within an inch of his life before telling him, or let it slip during dinner, maybe "no darling, no wine for me, I'm pregnant." Or just leaving the stick on the table – no, too unsanitary. Anything but "We've got to talk."

As she sat, her eyes drifted around the flat and began another mental list – swords and guns into storage, ornaments moved out of reach, sharp corners covered, glass shelves replaced with wood, cupboard doors latched, hardwood floors covered by warmer, softer carpet - no rugs, too much risk of tripping.

Then her face fell. Her shoes! Her wonderful collection of high heeled shoes would have to go and be replaced by flats, at least until baby was in a pram. She couldn't risk tripping in heels whilst pregnant or carrying baby in a papoose. Her poor, darling heels. And poor Becker, he would be devastated at the loss. Her face suddenly brightened as she thought of all the darling little pumps she was now going to have to buy, and the maternity clothes, and the baby clothes! The thought of shopping sprees and adorable baby outfits brightened her mood considerably.

She was still bubbling when Becker arrived home bearing takeaway. She met him in the kitchen as he was lifting plates out of the cupboard. "Feeling better?" he asked rhetorically as he picked her up and kissed her before placing her back on the ground with a puzzled look. "You're shorter."

"That would be the flats" she said as she smiled and modelled her footwear for him. "I thought it was appropriate" she said as she dished up her meal.

"No prawns but I thought prawn crackers would be OK. Are you sure you only want water? So, did you find out what's been causing your sickness? I see your colour is coming back."

She couldn't miss the golden opportunity he had laid before her. She coyly grinned and went for it. "Oh yes I found out. It was you, or more to the point us. We're having a baby." Jess positively glowed.

Becker went through shock to acceptance and finally to a weak smile. He managed to choke back "Are you sure?" before it slipped out, betraying him. Instead he leant forward and drew Jess into a hug. "That's wonderful" he said, but his face over her shoulder was one of fear.

As he drew back he again smiled and tried to look pleased. They took their food through to the living room. Jess happily burbling away about what they needed to do in the flat to make it baby-safe, and how she simply had to go shopping. She continued as they ate, her nibbling in between squeals and delight, whilst he barely registered what passed his lips – he was going through the motions, just buying himself time.

She was currently running through a list of who she should tell first and wondering if her mum would be worried at her being pregnant at just twenty-three.

Oh my god, she's only twenty-three! That's too young to be a single mother. How could he possibly be responsible for leaving her alone to raise a child on her own at such a young age? He had to get his insurance and will sorted out. His Army pension records would need updating. He needed to ensure that everything was set up with her as next of kin and beneficiary. He must talk to his solicitor. And his investments and holdings – he would have to talk to his broker. He needed to get all his assets made over to joint names so that she had full access to everything. His father would need to know to include Jess as beneficiary in his will so she inherited Becker's share of the estate. They needed to sort out their marriage - that would help straighten things out. And there would be school fees and university - perhaps he should consider setting up a trust fund. It would be tight, but he had to make sure that they were properly provided for.

He suddenly realised that she was staring at him expectantly. Had she asked him something?

"Are you OK Hils? This is what you want isn't it?" The doubt in her eyes went straight to his heart.

He smiled reassuringly, setting down his plate. "Of course it is darling. I couldn't be happier. This is wonderful news." He drew her into a hug, knowing that he had just told the love of his life a bare-faced lie.

**tbc**

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**Sorry for the short chapter and the cliffhanger, but the story demanded it.**

**Your reviews are what keeps me going so be kind and let me know what you think.**


	4. Two Beckers

**Two Beckers**

Jess was bubbling as they left the doctor's surgery the following morning. Becker had his arm wrapped protectively around her shoulders as he escorted her back to the SUV and helped her into the passenger seat. She gabbled merrily away, repeating almost everything the doctor had said to the both of them. How the pregnancy was progressing well. What she should or shouldn't do. The vitamins she should take. How pleased he was with her blood pressure.

She had booked her first ultrasound and was now debating whether to tell everyone now or wait until she'd had the scan. She continued burbling merrily all the short drive back to the flat. She didn't seem to notice that Becker had barely said a word except to hum or grunt in answer to her statements.

Becker was relieved when his phone rang with an anomaly alert. Helping Jess from the passenger seat, he kissed her goodbye and watched her enter the building safely before speeding to the site of the alert in an abandoned factory on the other side of Clapham. At least there shouldn't be many civilians at risk if there was an incursion.

Becker arrived a little after the team to find his 2IC had already deployed the men and the core team were dealing with the situation. There had been an incursion by a pack of hyaenodons. Becker geared up before moving to protect the technician who was operating the locking mechanism (Connor was no longer on active duty and now specialised in Research and Development). The tech had been hoping to trial the new prototype locking device Connor and his team had developed, but the incursion had prevented that so he was busily setting up the old style device whilst the soldiers herded the pack back towards the anomaly.

Becker nodded to his corporal who was also guarding the tech. The corporal was new and unusually Becker couldn't quite place his name. He should have been focussed but all he could think about was the baby.

Suddenly the corporal shouted and Becker turned to see a large and somewhat grizzled male hyaenodon barrelling towards them, all teeth and snarls. The corporal raised his EMD, but Becker did the unthinkable – he froze, wide eyed and unmoving. Becker never froze.

He didn't raise his EMD or make any move to protect himself or the tech. The corporal shouted at him, but still no response. The corporal dragged the tech out of harm's way and positioned himself to protect the locking mechanism. Still Becker didn't move. The corporal did what he never thought he would have to do, he rugby tackled the inert Becker out of the way before turning and repeatedly firing his EMD at the flanks of the beast as it continued on through the anomaly.

Matt had seen everything. He picked Becker up, dusted him off, commended the corporal on his swift action and requested he keep the matter quiet. Matt then took Becker off towards the privacy of the SUVs.

"What the hell are you playing at Becker? Not only did you just nearly get yourself killed, you put an unarmed tech and one of your own men in danger? I'm not having you here anymore. As of now you are off active duty until you can get your head straight and give me a damn good reason why I don't suspend you permanently!"

Becker seemed to have ignored every word Matt screamed at him. He simply threw his EMD on the front seat of his SUV, climbed in and screeched away.

Becker drove, not really concentrating on where he was going. He just continued almost on auto-pilot, not registering where he was headed, but letting his experience keep him out of trouble. He had been on the road for a good hour before he realised he was pulling up outside a Georgian manor house nestled in extensive grounds in the Surrey Hills. He rested his head on the steering wheel to calm himself before pulling himself together and walking to the front door.

"So, I've come to see The CO. Curious how the subconscious works", he thought as he approached the door.

Major-General Arthur Hilary Becker was called 'Sir' to his face and 'The CO' behind his back. Very occasionally his children got to call him 'Father', but he was never ever 'Dad'. He was the absolute archetypal retired British military officer – tweed jacket, brogues and regimental tie, unless the weather was roasting enough to require shirt sleeve order. His hair was immaculately groomed (like father like son) and he wore a fine moustache. It was obvious where Becker had inherited his looks from.

"Hilary, my boy, what brings you here? Whisky or are you on duty?" The General had led them into the sanctuary of the library. He took comfort being surrounded by his books of military history, Wisden Cricketers' Almanacks and his secret passion of detective fiction. The latest Adrian Magson lay book-marked and partially read on the small side table beside the leather armchair.

Becker stood at ease until his father offered him a seat. He then accepted the offer of a whisky prompting a raised eyebrow from his father. That his son stood before him in full tactical gear was concerning. "Not that I'm unhappy to see you My Boy, but your visit is unexpected. What's happened Hilary?"

Becker shook his head and ran a hand over his face, before taking a large sip of whisky. He would have to admit his failure to the man who did not accept weakness, he could do nothing else. "I was in the field and I froze. I left an unarmed man unprotected and one of my men had to tackle me out of harm's way. I let myself, the team and my men down. That's unforgivable. I _froze_!" The look of despair and disgust with himself said it all.

The senior Becker looked closely at his son before giving a little harrumph. "I know something of what you do. I have friends who have let me see some of the less highly classified reports. I know that, despite what you may think of yourself and the high standards to which you hold yourself, your record is exemplary. You are well respected by your men. I wish I had been so highly regarded when I was on active service." Becker's eyes shot up at the complement from a man so highly decorated and respected.

"Something serious must be bothering you to force you to make such a rudimentary mistake. Tell me."

"Sir, Jess is pregnant. We've only just found out." There was anguish in his voice that his Father, at first, chose to ignore. More information was required to make a proper assessment.

"Why that's excellent news my boy, excellent. But I take it from your expression that you don't think so. Don't you want the child?"

"To be honest I really don't know. I love Jess dearly and I know she's over the moon, but how can I do this? You have some idea of what I do. My primary function is to protect my team and to prevent civilian casualties. I am expendable. I've always known that this job would kill me. It's more dangerous than anything I did in the SAS, and it's not just me. One wrong move and my team, or worse civilians can die. Or worse …" Becker paused as the enormity of the consequences of failure weighed heavily on him. "How can I put Jess and a child of mine through that? How can I risk leaving her alone to raise my child?"

"Hilary, she wouldn't be alone. If anything happened to you she would have her own family and all of yours rallying round her. No recompense for losing you I know, but still, she'd never be alone."

Despite his Father's words, the younger Becker was not appeased. The anguish he was feeling was still very apparent.

"How did you do it Sir, when we were young? How did you leave Mother alone to raise us while you were on active duty? How did you carry on?"

"It was my duty." he answered matter-of-factly.

Major-General Becker then paused and stroked his moustache as he debated his next statement. He now had all the intelligence he needed and had decided upon a course of action. Slowly he began to speak. It was hard admitting past weakness, but this was a tactical necessity to save his son.

"I froze once. I was deployed to Northern Ireland not long after you were born. I was still a Major then. I was so proud of you. Of course I was proud of my girls, but you were my son, my boy. We were out on patrol. I didn't normally go, but the Colonel liked to keep appraised of the men's performance in the field and sent his senior officers to do spot checks – I think he liked to keep us on our toes too. The men had been passing round pictures of their families and girlfriends to relieve the tedium in the personnel carrier – we should have been on alert." He shook his head sadly at the memory. "Instead of reprimanding them I foolishly joined in, showing your picture to the men - I was so proud of you." He looked pleadingly at his son, hoping this offered some explanation for his poor judgement, but knowing his failure that day would forever haunt him. "I still can't think of the incident without shame. I was an experienced officer and I was behaving like a wet-behind-the-ears … well!" The memory of his behaviour was obviously still painful and angered him.

"It was then we were hit by a combination of a land mine and sniper fire. I just froze. All I could think was 'this is it, this is where I die.' Luckily my sergeant spotted it and dragged me to cover. Later he fed me several cups of tea that I think were basically molten sugar laced with whisky. He told me I wasn't the first and I wouldn't be the last, but if I didn't pull myself together sharpish I'd never live to see you again. Good man, Davies. Caught one at a checkpoint in Londonderry."

The General paused as he remembered with affection the man who had saved his life. "He suggested I write a diary. So if the worst happened you would know me, not just other people's memories or my service record, but my own thoughts and feelings."

Placing his glass on the side table, the General got up and walked over to an old and surprisingly utilitarian writing desk. Taking a key from an antique Chinese pot that sat prominently on the generally clear desk-top, he unlocked a drawer. From it he produced a well-worn leather bound journal. "I could never bring myself to give you this – too embarrassed I suppose. I have bequeathed it to you, but I think that you need it now." He handed the journal to his son with a look of combined embarrassment and relief. "I hope it proves beneficial."

Rolling his shoulders and straightening his back the General came back to himself, The CO once more. "And before you start getting maudlin let me tell you something else. I've read those reports and there is no bloody way you are expendable. You are a pivotal member of your team. Some of those after-action reports make unbelievable reading but what keeps coming through loud and clear is how much the team relies on your courage and ingenuity. You need to stop thinking that each call is a … a suicide mission. There are an awful lot of people who depend on your survival and I don't just mean Jess and the child. The ARC _is_ the core team and without any one of you I fear the rest would crumble. Just remember THAT next time you're trying to be self-sacrificing and heroic. Now, get back to that girl of yours before she wonders where you are." He gave his son an encouraging smile and a slap on the shoulder.

Both Beckers stood and walked towards the front door, the younger Becker clutching the precious journal under his arm. As the General showed his son out, Becker suddenly did the unthinkable. He threw his arms round his father in a tight hug and said "Thanks Dad" before getting in the SUV and heading for home.

Major-General Becker proudly watched his son drive away and said "Take care of yourself My Boy." before harrumphing and turning back into the house where a bracing whisky and a strangely lovely heroine waited.

**tbc**

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**Well, what do you think? Please let me know. BTW Riley Gavin is the heroine of Adrian Magson's excellent novels**


	5. Becker and Jess

**Becker and Jess**

Becker had never kept a video diary before. He hadn't even kept a conventional diary. He knew Connor had done something similar and he quickly found his Temple TV entries through searching the internet. They were so very much the exuberant young Connor he remembered from before the Cretaceous and New Dawn.

Connor's blog about losing Cutter brought back painful memories. Cutter was his first major failure on the team. He'd not long joined and he let the man go back into the building unarmed and unprotected, and then he'd let Connor follow him in. Becker could have lost both of them that day.

Still this was not why he was watching. He needed inspiration.

In the end he sought out Connor himself for advice.

"I don't want to post them on the internet for all the world to see like you did, I just want to record some personal thoughts and observations for … Jess. In case anything should happen. I want her to know me, my thoughts."

"OK, I've set it all up on you laptop. It's dead simple. Each filename will be the time and date-stamp of when it was opened so you won't over-write anything. It should be so simple even you can do it. And if you get stuck ask Jess."

"No, she mustn't know. Promise me Temple, she won't know." Becker looked pleadingly at his friend.

Connor was surprised. This situation would normally have elicited a threat or at the very least a death glare. Becker's need was obviously extreme for him to almost beg for Connor's silence. Connor acted locking his lips and throwing away the key before giving Becker a cheeky grin "Won't hear a word from me Action Man."

-0-0-

Becker sat in front of his laptop and opened the file following Connor's instructions. Jess had gone to bed so the flat was quiet. Becker stared at the screen as the image of his face stared back at him. "Why are emotions so hard?" He realised he'd said that out loud. Oh well he'd leave it and do something about it later.

Steeling himself Becker took a deep breath "Hello, I'm your Father … I'm your Dad, but you probably know that." Great start there Hils! Make your kid think you're an idiot! "I'm making these recordings so you know me, who I am, how I feel and what I think, in case …" He paused to compose himself, before looking back at the camera. "If I'm not there with you please know it wasn't what I wanted, to leave you and your Mum. I want so much to be with you and I really hope that I am, that I'm standing behind you now watching this over your shoulder, laughing and remembering just how hard this was."

"I want to be there for you so much and watch you grow into a wonderful person, because you are the most important thing in the world to me - you and your Mum, and I love you with all my heart." Becker paused as he realised what he had said. This was the first time he'd really acknowledged that he wanted this child - that he loved this child. It shook him to his core.

Once he had accepted this, everything else began to pour out of him. "I want to see your birthdays and your first steps. I want to hear you say 'mama' and 'dada'. I want to tell you bedtime stories and teach you to read. I want to take you to the park to play, feed the ducks and go on picnics. I want to be at your first day at school, see you in school plays, teach you to ride a bike and, when you're older, teach you to shoot." This sudden desire to be so much a part of his child's life was a revelation to him. He had always assumed he would be detached like his father. Jess had changed him and now impending fatherhood was changing him further - he wanted to embrace this. But what of his work, would he be allowed to enjoy this gift?

"I'll be with you as much as I can, but I'm just so very afraid that my work will take me away from you. It's dangerous but it's so important you see. It's saving lives and I can't walk away from it, not even for you and your Mum, not that she'd ever ask me to."

"You're absolutely right that I wouldn't." Jess appeared on screen behind his shoulder, her face a picture of mock indignation. "Hello child of mine, Mum here. Your Dad's right, what he does is way too important and he does it too well to stop, even for us. He's a total hero, not just to me but to the whole team. And right now this hero needs some sleep, so my darling child, Mummy and Daddy will say 'night night' and will speak to you again soon." And she closed the connection.

She turned to look at Becker, searching his face for an answer. Her emotions were a mixture of confusion, fear and sadness. "You're that frightened that you won't be there? That we'll forget you?"

"Not that you'll forget me – I'm totally, amazingly unforgettable". He swung her into his arms, hoping his flippancy would dispel the sadness he had caused and stop further awkward questions.

As he carried his love towards the bedroom he came to a decision. It was about time she heard the truth. He was done with being emotionally reserved. If he couldn't tell Jess his true feelings then what was the point of their relationship?

He had reached the bedroom and now set her down carefully on the bed before sitting on the edge next to her. He took her hand and gently stroked it as he spoke. "In all honesty, I've never wanted children because I'm frightened that I won't be there to see my child grow up. I suppose it's the same fear I had that prevented me asking you out for so long. I still can't shake the feeling that this job is going to take me away from you and that terrifies me."

"Is that why you froze at the anomaly site yesterday?" He looked at her in confused shock. "Matt called me to check you got home OK. I was nearly frantic when you didn't roll in until gone midnight. If The CO hadn't called to let me know you'd just left and could be a while I would have had the entire ARC out searching for you. By the way, you forgot your black box."

Becker kissed her lightly on the forehead by way of apology. "I didn't know where I was going 'til I got there. I needed to talk to someone who understood. It turns out he kept a journal from pretty much when I was born until I left for Sandhurst. He kept writing about what he was doing and thinking. How he felt, how he coped. All the things he's never been able to say to my face. How he loved me and my sisters, how proud he is of us all. It took guts for him to give it to me now, but he realised I needed it. I stopped in the motorway services on the way home and read it cover to cover. It was a revelation and helped me get a few things sorted out in my head. We're a lot alike you know him and me." He smiled ruefully at the thought. "He knows about the baby by the way."

Looking at his hand, afraid of his answer, Jess asked "Do you want children?"

"Before today I would have said categorically no. But now, yes, I think I do. Very much in fact, with you as their mother." Relief washed over her. Jess smiled and took his hand, softly rubbing his palm. "So you froze and Matt sent you home?"

"Yeah, my brain just ceased to function. I kept thinking 'this is it, I'll never see my child'. My Dad has seen some of our after-action reports. He knows what we do more or less – friends in high places. He told me that I'm not expendable - that I'm an essential part of the ARC team and I should start behaving like it."

"Well I could have told you that! Wait a minute, you just called him 'Dad'. You never call him that."

"I do now. I've even hugged him, for the first time since I was seven years old." He smiled softly at the memory. "But seriously, I've always seen myself as the last line of defence between the team and the anomaly. Whatever comes through has to go through me before it gets to them, especially after what happened before. So I've always seen myself as expendable. Push comes to shove I'll still die before I'll let anything happen to any of them, but I'm going to be a little more precious about myself now." He kissed Jess tenderly.

"Good to know. And the video diary?"

"I think I'll keep going. I don't think it will be so bad now I've got started - it might even be a laugh. If the worst happens you and Junior will have something to watch and remember me by. Hopefully it won't be too painful. But I'm hoping it will be something for us all to have a good giggle over in about twelve years' time."

Jess smiled and snuggled into her lover's arms whilst gently stroking her stomach. "Hear that Junior? Daddy is planning on sticking around. We like that don't we."

**tbc**

* * *

**Relieved? I know I am. Let me know what you think.**


	6. Abby and Connor

**Abby and Connor**

Connor bounced in from work. Abby was in the kitchen of their house with twenty month old Nick in a chair at the kitchen table. She was trying to persuade him to eat his pieces of mango, but most of it seemed to be ending up in Rex.

"You'll never guess what Becker has asked me to set up for Jess. It's a really big secret and we can't tell Jess but he never made me promise I couldn't tell you. Go on, guess."

Much as she adored her husband and his occasional ridiculous outbursts, today was not a good day. Nick had woken with a slight temperature and had been grizzling all day. It was probably nothing and the temperature had never risen high enough to cause concern. Abby suspected that he had slight constipation, hence the mango and plenty of fluids. It did, however mean that she'd had a tiring day and the last thing she needed was an over-excited Connor.

"Connor, just tell me" her exasperated tone pulling Connor up short.

"Sorry Abs. How's he been? Nicky, have you been messing ya Mam around today?"

"No Dada. I bin good."

"Good boy!" Connor ruffled his son's hair and kissed his forehead earning a sticky mango juice handprint on his cheek. Next he moved over to Abby, scooped her up in his arms and planted a passionate kiss on her lips. "Missed you today love. What's for dinner?"

"I thought curry if you could order it. I'll just finish sorting Nicky out and get him to bed."

Some while later they were relaxing in the kitchen eating curry and drinking beer. The gentle snuffling of their sleeping son wafted from the baby monitor providing a soothing accompaniment to their meal. "So what did Becker ask you to do that I mustn't tell Jess?"

"He wanted me to set him up with a video diary, a bit like me old Temple TV. Apparently he wants to tell Jess how he feels about her in case anything happens to him."

"That's strange. I know he tells Jess_ exactly_ how he feels about her all the time and in lurid detail. Why would he want to create a video diary unless … Oh. My. God! Oh-my-god, oh-my-god, oh-my-god!"

"What? What?" Abby was bouncing in her seat, a huge smile on her face, barely able to contain her excitement. Connor sat completely bemused.

"It's not _for_ Jess, it's for who Jess is carrying. It's for baby Becker!"

"Baby Becker? Becker a daddy? Bloody hell. We should call them to congratulate … Oh, we're not supposed to know. What do we do?"

"Absolutely nothing until they tell us. No hints, nothing. It would be so unfair of us."

"OK. Point taken. I'd hate it if someone guessed about us before we were ready to tell."

"Yep. Now tell me about this video diary. It sounds interesting."

-0-0-

Abby started recording, wrinkled her brow and then began to speak. "Hello Nicky. You're upstairs fast asleep at the moment so I thought I'd just quickly talk to you. First of all let me tell you how much you're loved by Grandma and your Uncle Becker and Aunty Jess, Uncle James, Uncle Matt and Aunty Emily and by Rex of course. And then there's your Daddy and me. We love you sooo much that sometimes we get cross when you do something silly and hurt yourself. But it's only because we love you and we don't want to lose you." At those words a flood of memories suddenly assailed her.

"I nearly lost your Daddy once. It wasn't his fault. He fell into a hole and a really scary animal tried to eat him. I thought I had lost him and it was the worst feeling in the world. Worse than anything. Luckily your Uncle Matt found your Daddy and he and I scared the animal away and got your Daddy out of the hole, but it was very frightening for a while." Abby felt a little shiver at the memory of that dreadful day. Of watching Connor falling through the anomaly - the way she felt her heart tear in two and her world end. She shook off the memory and re-focused on her son.

"You are so lucky how many people love you. I didn't really know love until I met your Daddy. I was frightened of it because when I was little the people who said they loved me always hurt me. I learned to love animals instead and to trust their instincts. It was wonderful working at the zoo. Everything was so simple. Then one day I met your Daddy. I didn't know at the time how very special he was, but he says he knew about me right away – he trusted his instincts."

"Your Daddy is a wonderful man. He's so caring about everyone he meets. And he's so clever too – you should see the wonderful things he's made and difficult things he has worked out. Oh, and he is so brave although he'd never admit it. I've seen him run into burning buildings, stop a bomb and fight very scary animals. He has kept me from getting hurt so many times I've lost count and he gives the most beautiful hugs in the whole world. For all his silly jokes and clumsiness you really are so very lucky that he is your Daddy."

"So I give good hugs huh?" Connor wound his arms around her waist and blew gently on the back of her ear.

"You know you do. You are the Hug King. The man with the golden hug. Sir Hug-a-lot. Mr Huggy" She was beginning to feel quite warm and amorous.

"Err Abs. Little eyes. I think we'd best turn this off. Goodnight son." He indicated the laptop with his eyes before reaching over to end the recording with a smile.

-0-0-

Connor switched on his laptop and started the recording.

"Hello son. Have I ever told you why your name is Nicholas Stephen Temple? It's for two men I grew to admire very much. Stephen Hart was wonderful with animals. I was once told he could track any creature, for days, through thick jungle. Your Mam was very fond of him." He thought back to all those years ago, and Abby with her arms around Stephen's neck and her legs wrapped around his waist as the pteranodon flew through the anomaly. He remembered the pain of jealousy he'd felt, then the calm of resignation and the growing bond of friendship with the man who should have been his rival.

"Stephen helped me a lot when I was younger, with advice and stuff. I didn't know a lot about, well, life. You know, how to live in the grown up world. I've always been a bit of a big kid, which is brilliant, but sometimes you need to be a grown up too. You need to be responsible and sensible and dependable – all very boring words but also very important, especially now that I have you to look after. Stephen helped me a lot with things like that. And he was incredibly brave. He protected all of us. I miss him quite a bit."

Connor glanced over at Abby in the kitchen loading the dishwasher. She was humming to herself. He'd never understood why she'd picked him to be in her life over Stephen until they were in the Cretaceous and she'd told him about her childhood. It was some months after they'd become lovers when she'd finally confided all of her terrible secrets. Then he understood why first Stephen's asking her out when he already had a girlfriend, and then the revelation of Stephen's betrayal of Cutter by his affair with Helen were, for Abby, unforgivable sins. She could continue to like him as a friend, but she could never bring herself to trust him enough to let him get close to her. Yes, Connor had an awful lot to thank Stephen Hart for.

"And Nicky, you're also named after Professor Nicholas Cutter. He was a great man. A bit like a father to me. He took me under his wing and was the first person to ever really trust me. He told me I was a genius and asked me to work out some very difficult things. He saw past the geeky student who fell over his own feet and never met a conspiracy theory he didn't like. He realised that I was useful and trustworthy and valuable and told me so. He taught me to have faith in myself. He even trusted me with his life."

Connor thought of the venom collection pouch Cutter entrusted him to make to protect his life from the arthropleura and to save Stephen's. He thought about the bomb Cutter got him to help defuse. And he thought about Claudia Brown - how Cutter confided his theories of the changing time line and his memories of her, even though, for Connor, she had never existed. He also thought of that day in the blown up ARC with the Artefact in his lap and Nick's head on his shoulder as the last breath left his body.

"Nick Cutter asked me to solve a problem – a very big, complicated problem. I'm not quite there yet and it's taken me a long time, but I'm close. One day I'll do it and I'll do it for him and for you. My two Nicks. Now, I think that is enough for tonight. Goodnight son."

Connor switched off the laptop and ambled into the kitchen, yawning and stretching aching shoulders.

"All done?"

"First instalment complete. It wasn't like Temple TV, this was much harder, but it'll be more fun from now on."

"So you'll keep recording them too?"

"Yeah, they're fun and we'll enjoy watching them back when he's older. They're making me think too, about the past and what we've achieved." He paused looking into space and biting his lip before continuing "Do you ever think about Stephen?"

"Woah, where did that come from? Not feeling jealous are you?" She gave a sly smirk and wrapped her hands around him, feeling taut muscles twitching under her touch.

"No, I was just thinking, I have a hell of a lot to be grateful to Stephen for." She quirked an eyebrow at him quizzically. "Yeah really. But I have even more to be grateful to you for. It's been you and Cutter all along. I would never have become who I am without the love and faith you both showed in me. Almost everything I've done has been for the two of you. And ya'know what, I can't think of a better reason. The faith of a trusted mentor and the love of a beautiful" kiss "intelligent" kiss "wonderful" kiss "strong" kiss "sexy" kiss "adorable" kiss "marvellous" kiss "fabulous" kiss "woman."

In between complements and kisses he'd managed to manoeuvre Abby to the bottom of the stairs. He now slung her over his shoulder eliciting a squeal and giggle, and carried her up the stairs to the bedroom. "And I really need to show this glorious creature just how much she means to me."

"Oh goody!"

**tbc**


	7. Matt and Emily

**A/N – This chapter refers to another of my stories "Reflections". You don't need to read it to understand this chapter, but it might help.**

* * *

**Matt and Emily**

Becker had gone to see Matt to apologise for his behaviour and to explain. When Matt heard about Jess's pregnancy it all became clear. He remembered how he'd felt when he'd found out about Gideon's existence. "You got your head straight now Mate?"

"Yeah Matt, I think I finally have." Becker gave his friend a sheepish grin. "Are we good?"

"Yeah, we're good. And you'd better say thanks to Corporal Davies for not only saving your arse, but keeping his mouth shut about it when he could have had major bragging rights throughout the ARC."

"Davies?" A strange look passed briefly over Becker's face. '_How strange, the same name as the Sergeant who saved Dad - weird how things go like that._' he thought.

"Yeah Matt, I'll be sure to thank him and put a commendation on his record. He surpassed himself that day, especially as he's only just deployed to the ARC. If he keeps performing like that he'll go far."

"Yep, one to keep an eye on. I'm glad you're sorted mate. And congratulate Jess for me. She'll be great. When are you breaking the good news to everyone?"

"We thought on Friday, if you can keep it quiet till then. Jess wants to announce it and have the opportunity to take everyone out to celebrate, anomalies permitting."

"Sounds great. I'll try not to let slip to Emily. See you tomorrow Captain."

"Yeah, see you tomorrow Team Leader."

Matt was relieved to have Becker back on the team and back on his game. It hadn't felt right going out in the field without their stalwart Captain backing them up.

-0-0-

The idea of a video diary appealed to Matt. Gideon was six months old, but it wasn't too late to start telling him about his Old Man. That evening found Matt on the computer for his first video log.

"Hello Gideon." There was a long pause as Matt looked uncomfortably at the screen. This was going to be harder than he thought. "You need to know that it's really hard for me to talk about myself and my feelings. I was trained from an early age to keep everything secret. It was really important that people didn't know much about me." Matt thought about the years of rigorous training with his Father and the ARC instructors at the bunker and in the various shelters. How he was taught to keep everything hidden, even his emotions and how he had it drummed into him to keep the Mission secret. No-one was to be trusted.

"This is going to sound weird if you don't know already, but I'm not from your time. I was born on 15th March 2114. My little sister died when I was six and my mother died when I was eight. The world was already dying by then."

"You see the world I come from had been destroyed by a very stupid man. He was tricked into doing something really awful and he then tricked a very good friend of mine into helping him. He thought he was saving the world. Instead this thing he did made the air and water poisonous so that everything died, even the trees and the people. And there were these horrible creatures from the future that killed everything that was left. I started training when I was eight years old to come back in time with my Father and try to put things right – to stop these awful things from happening to the Earth. It was very secret and no-one was allowed to know."

"My Father, your Grandpa Gideon, was very sick and he died a short time after we arrived so I was all alone to save a whole world. Because I was from the future, my whole life story had to be made up. It wasn't a lie exactly, it was more like make believe. I had to pretend I was from this time so that I could get a job at the ARC and find out who was going to destroy the world. I had to hide my feelings and as much about myself as I could so people couldn't find out I was pretending. I wasn't supposed to make friends, just be there boss, but the team were such fantastic people I couldn't help but make friends with them. I still couldn't tell them the truth. The first person I ever told was your Mammy."

'_And she went back to her pig of a husband and was nearly committed to protect me and my Mission_' thought Matt bitterly. That moment, of Emily walking back through the anomaly because he couldn't risk the distraction, would haunt him until his dying day. Matt's mind swung to the meeting in Lester's office. Thank heavens they'd believed him. He would have ended it all if Emily hadn't come back and he'd failed. He could never have done it alone.

"In the end, the Mission was too big to do on my own so I got my friends to help. Your Uncles Connor, Becker and Lester and your Aunties Abby and Jess were really brave and helped me and your Mammy stop the bad man and make everything right."

Matt thought about that last statement. He really hoped that what they had done had made things right. Everything looked OK in the current time. There appeared to be no serious after effects and the anomalies still existed, seemingly unchanged by the events of New Dawn. There just hadn't been one to the future so they could check and they certainly weren't going to make one. Shaking himself he looked back at the screen. But what of the vision of himself he had seen? He hoped that was the residue of the psychological programming he had received to self-terminate during those last rigorous years of training – a final nudge to complete ALL his tasks.

"I was trained for so many years not to tell anyone anything, even how I really felt, that sometimes I might have a hard time telling you how much I love you. I don't know if you have brothers and sisters, but you need to know that I love you all very much and you're more important than the world to me." Matt paused to compose himself. This was really hard.

Taking a deep breath, he continued "So I come from the future, and because I've changed everything I may not be born now. Your Grandpa Gideon may never meet your Grandma Julia and even if they do meet and get married, they may not have a son called Matt. It's sort of hard to think that I may never exist when I know that I do because I'm here. It's called a paradox. But then we're a family of paradoxes."

"You see, your Mammy's not from this time either. You can search for her on the internet if you like. Her name was Lady Emily Merchant and she was born in 1842 in Buckinghamshire. She was married before but her husband died and before you ask no, she didn't have children before she had you." Matt gave a little laugh and smiled at the thought. "She came through to this time by accident and we met and fell in love. So actually we were born nearly three hundred years apart. Just think about that. Me and you Mammy should never have been able to meet, but we did and now we have you. You were named after your Grandpa Gideon and your other Grandpa John. They were born nearly three hundred years apart too. See, another paradox."

"So that makes you and your brothers and sisters completely unique in this world. You, my son, are a wonderful anomaly in time."

-0-0-

Emily was intrigued by the idea of recording her thoughts onto a computer rather than in a journal. She had kept a journal when she was a child. It was expected and served as good practise for self-discipline and calligraphy. It also allowed the nanny to keep track of her thoughts and correct any abhorrent behaviour.

The idea of talking to her infant son, so that one day he could watch her in her youth was fascinating. So she asked Matt to configure a separate profile for her so that she too could record messages to her child.

"Good evening Gideon. I hope that this finds you well and that you are not misbehaving. I wanted to tell you about myself, where I come from and how I came to meet your Father. It is a fascinating story full of monsters and heroes, strange worlds and time portals. I am quite sure that you will thoroughly enjoy it. But first I have some very important things to tell you."

"I know your Father has told you that I was born in another place a very long time ago. It was a very different time from now. People treated each other harshly and only very rich and powerful men had any rights. It was a very hard time to be a woman, even with money and position, but it was an even harder time to be poor."

"Even in my time, few children went to school and many worked in order to help feed their families. There were few doctors and hospitals, and none of the wonderful things you have today like television and computer games – have I said that correctly? Your Uncle Connor always tells me I get these things wrong."

"The differences are so many between then and now that I will ask you to look up on the internet what it was like in Victorian England because then you will see the world I grew up in. If you have any questions you may ask me and I will explain. But you must understand that, despite all the changes to your clothing and possessions, people do not change in the essentials. Some are wicked and some are greedy, some are weak and need our help while some are kind and heroic. I know that your Father has told you that you are unique. That is true, but it simply means that you have an even greater responsibility to help others."

"Have faith in yourself and your instincts because they will normally be correct. Be kind to others and protect those weaker than yourself. Never take anything for granted. You live in a world of great privilege and freedom, but both your Father and I have seen worlds where these things do not exist. Show respect to others and when you love, love truly."

"You are my son and I love you. If you are even half the man your Father is, you will make me extremely proud. Goodnight my dear boy and sleep well. I will speak to you again presently."

Emily hit the key to stop the recording and gave a small smile of satisfaction. Matt came over and wrapped his arms around her.

"I am quite satisfied with my first attempt at a video journal. I look forward to telling him stories of my adventures."

"Not _all_ your adventures I hope." Matt whispered, kissing her neck before he pulled her to her feet. "Come on Precious. Bed."

**tbc**

* * *

**Well I think that's enough angst. Anyone for some fluff, oh and Lester?**

**Please be kind enough to let me know what you think.**


	8. Lester

**James Lester**

James straightened his tie and smoothed his hair. He ensured that the laptop was in the perfect position to frame him properly and not to give the impression of a double chin.

He started the recording.

"Hello. My name is James Lester. None of your parents know I am doing this, but I felt that it was incumbent upon me, as head of the ARC, to tell you about your parents' work. First ARC stands for Anomaly Research Centre. As you probably know by now, we track holes in time – anomalies – and lock them to prevent danger to the public. Sometimes things, like dinosaurs, can come through these anomalies from different times in the past and the future. We have to try to send them back to their own time to prevent changes to evolution. It's very dangerous but vitally important work. Your parents are incredibly dedicated and brave. I've never worked with a better team."

"The reason I wanted to make this video, to talk to you all, is because I don't know how many of your parents are still with you – I hope that they are all still here, safe and well – I really do hope so. I do know that they love you and would do anything to keep you safe."

"I want you to understand why your parents risk their lives to protect the public. Without them it would be chaos with dangerous animals roaming the streets. And, if they didn't send the creatures back to their own time, history itself could be changed and we wouldn't want that. The paperwork would be horrendous" James allowed himself a little smirk at his Civil Service in-joke.

"At the moment I'm looking out of the window of my office and I can see them all." His wife had once joked that he was in charge of a top secret, heavily armed, Government funded dating agency - she wasn't far wrong.

"Jess and Becker are by the ADD. They look so happy and Jess is glowing. They've just told everyone that they're expecting their first child and have just got engaged. I still can't believe Becker got down on one knee and asked her in the middle of the hub in front of everyone. It's so unlike him. Jess is a brilliant Field Coordinator and he is the best Head of Security I've had. Between them they ensure that anomalies are dealt with quickly and efficiently and that the team and public stay safe. They are … brilliant." A smile began to play on his lips, and a look of almost fatherly pride made his chest swell.

"Matt and Emily are just heading off to Matt's biology lab. He has his arm round her shoulders and she has her arm round his waist. They've been that close since almost the first day Emily came through the anomaly. For two people separated by so much time, they formed an instant connection which has only been strengthened by the arrival of little Gideon. They are normally both so reserved, but with each other they are completely at ease. Amazing. Matt is a first class Team Leader and Emily is just so strong willed and determined. Once she sets her mind to something nothing stands in her way." Lester allowed himself another smile, before switching back to his impassive stare. Then he caught sight of the final couple and the smile returned.

"Ahh, Connor and Abby. Connor is like a puppy around her, even after all these years and becoming a remarkably responsible father to Nicky. Despite everything he has never lost that child-like quality that makes him so very annoyingly enthusiastic about everything. And Abby simply dotes on him – she is so tolerant and indulgent. Almost from the first they have been a single unit, working together as one. It was no surprise that Professor Cutter dubbed them Conby, although I always thought Sid and Nancy was better. I've watched them grow from young adults dressed like rejects from some awful nightclub to wonderful parents and my top researchers. I've thought I'd lost them too many times what with getting stuck in the Cretaceous for a year and the whole New Dawn fiasco, but they are still here ... I pray that they are ALL still here."

"You see, I worry about them all more than I like to admit. I know how dangerous this work is – even I've had incidents with creatures in my time. But it is essential work and I couldn't ask for a better team. We all rely on each other. We are a family. We all protect each other, and dare I say, love each other. Without any one member of this team, I think the rest would fall apart. They fight and squabble like any family, but they would do anything for each other. I know we've lost team members before, but this particular team, well …" He spread his hands expressively.

"You should be very proud of your parents. They are incredibly brave and fearless. They are dedicated, selfless and probably a little bit mad. They will always put themselves between danger and the public, and would die to protect each other. They are all totally brilliant at what they do and have saved so many lives over the years - they even saved the whole future of the human race - but that's classified, so I'm sure one day they'll tell you all about it. They are just so … incredible and it is an honour and a privilege to know them." Lester looked out of the window at the team for a second, a proud smile on his face, before coming back to himself.

Addressing a fictitious flunky behind the camera Lester let his face harden into his trademark exasperated expression as he continued "Now, have we finished with this emotional, soul-searching drivel so that we can ALL GET ON WITH SOME WORK AROUND HERE!" And Lester ended the recording.

He straightened his tie, smoothed his hair and gave a satisfied smile. That went well.

**tbc**


	9. Family

**Family**

It was the height of summer. Abby and Connor were throwing a party to mark the welcome return of Danny Quinn after twelve long years away. To say it had been a shock when he sauntered through an anomaly in the Forest of Dean sporting bizarre clothes from the future and a cheeky grin was something of an understatement. And as Lester had so succinctly put it "What is it with that place?"

Danny had been happily anomaly jumping for some time after the death of his brother (an argument with an allosaurus finishing as a nil-nil draw). He'd taken the opportunity to do a little exploring before finally deciding to come home. He was, of course, welcomed back into the ARC family with open arms.

"And it i_s_ a family" thought Lester, sitting in the swing seat with his wife surveying the happy brood before him. They were _his_ family, his own children having now grown and long gone, but he was closer to these people and their offspring than he had ever been to his own.

Nicholas Stephen Temple (8 years) was busy playing football with Gideon John Anderson (7) – a Temple playing sport? Must be the Maitland genes.

Diana Lesley Becker (6 and a half - don't you dare forget the half) was busily supervising Abigail Emily Becker (4), Elizabeth Julia Anderson (3) and David James Temple (3) in a game involving tea cups, dolls and much shrieking. Meanwhile Thomas Daniel Temple (6) staged toy dinosaur battles.

Abby was expertly preparing a cheesecake in the kitchen one-handed, whilst holding Leia Sarah Temple (10 months) firmly clamped to her hip. She looked every inch the Earth Mother.

Connor was manning the barbeque resplendent in chef's hat and 'have you kissed the chef today?' apron – Danny was taking every opportunity to sneak up and try and give him a drunken snog. Connor was laughing and currently threatening to with-hold burger rations which seemed to have tempered Danny's enthusiasm for winding Connor up.

Emily was in the kitchen helping Abby with the food. Her Victorian upbringing had afforded her little chance to learn cooking skills, something she had now rectified, although she had become expert with a knife when anomaly hopping. She was currently slicing vegetables with incredible speed and precision. Matt joined them in the kitchen bringing drinks for the ladies and admiring his wife's handy work.

Jess was sat on a recliner, feet up and slowly fanning herself with a fashion magazine. As she lay she massaged her prominent belly where the latest addition to the Becker clan – Alexander Hilary (it's a family name and someone had to inherit it!) was safely nestled awaiting birth in approximately two months.

James Lester gave a contented sigh and squeezed his wife's hand as he surveyed his family. It had been a good couple of years. Connor had more or less completed the work started by Cutter and Sarah Page, having finally mapped the anomalies. He'd also identified a way to predict their appearance. With teams on site before an anomaly opened it was possible to lock them almost instantly and prevent creature incursions and the resultant staff and civilian casualties.

Danny had returned and, from his extensive travels through time, was able to confirm that Matt had indeed succeeded in his Mission. Humanity, at least for the next few centuries, was quite safe. Matt was greatly relieved and had now finally released the hold his past life had on his psyche. The concern that he had failed in some way had still nagged at him, especially after his strange encounter after New Dawn. To have confirmation that all was well was a huge relief.

James looked over to Connor. For all that he had achieved and the traumas he had suffered, he had never lost his innocence or his open heart. James thought this was thanks, in part, to the love of an exceptional woman. Abby nurtured Connor's childish side, encouraging him to geek out, playing computer games with his boys, and letting him take them to the latest sci-fi films. She was even letting Connor take Nick to his first sci-fi convention later that year. Nick had his heart set on going as R2D2, but Abby was in the process of persuading him to go as young Anakin Skywalker – with Connor dressed as Luke it would be father and son going as son and father and, she thought, entirely appropriate (and machine washable!).

As Emily brought out some bowls of salad, James allowed his eyes to follow her. Emily had acclimated so well to the modern world for all that she was still a Victorian Lady. Her incredible strength and determination had proved invaluable to the team. She had filled the void they didn't know they had, left by the departure of Jenny. Emily was currently studying modern world history with the Open University – "filling in the blanks" she said.

Having heard the doorbell ring a few moments before, Connor suddenly bounded in like a puppy leading the latest arrivals. "Look who's here everyone!" as Jenny and Michael came through into the garden. Nina Ella Miller (9) let out a squeal when she saw Diana's tea party and ran over to start bossing the younger children around. Robert Dylan Miller (6) lounged against the door frame and looked appraisingly at James. '_Future Civil Servant_' thought James. Robert sauntered over to join Thomas and the toy dinosaurs.

Jenny went over to hug Danny, welcoming him home like a long lost brother, before introducing him to Michael. Danny and Michael shook hands warmly before Danny headed to the kitchen to get cold drinks for them all.

Suddenly, an appalling wailing noise from the back of the garden drew everyone's eye. Something horrendous was growling loudly and crawling from the shed. The children all stopped what they were doing, their eyes went wide and their mouths dropped open. As suddenly, they began laughing and threw themselves on the interloper. Becker collapsed under a scrum of shrieking children. He rolled on his back laughing and tried to fend them off as they tickled him mercilessly. Jess laughed and managed to struggle up enough to film the better part of the spectacle on her phone – the video of her husband under a pack of laughing children would be one for the ARC Christmas party.

To see Becker so happy, rolling on the floor, ruffled and grubby with his hair all messed and in his eyes warmed James' heart. There was a time after the Helen Cutter debacle that he thought he had not only lost Danny, Sarah, Abby and Connor, but that he'd lost Becker as well – broken by the crushing realisation that, despite his best efforts, he'd been unable to protect any of them. Thank heavens for Jess. She had been the person to get him smiling again, and Matt had proven his worth as Team Leader by goading and cajoling him back into full efficiency. Matt shooting him in the chest with an EMD was one of the best things that had ever happened to Becker, had he but known. It had set him firmly on the road to full recovery. Of course, Jess petting and fussing over him had helped a lot too.

James gave a devious little smirk as he remembered how he'd arranged for those after-action reports to be "leaked" to Major-General Becker - it was a calculated risk, but had proved very effective having the old man on side. And keeping him informed about his son was the least he could do for his former CO.

James stood, stretched and turned to his wife "Another wine darling?" He headed to the kitchen to retrieve the white wine from the fridge. As he approached Abby turned and smiled at him. "How's it going out there?"

"Abby, it's wonderful and you are the prefect hostess." He leant forward and gently kissed her cheek, avoiding little Leia's sticky fingers.

"Well, I'm nearly done, so if you could let everyone know to start tucking in."

"Will do. You know Abby, I wish all family get-togethers were this convivial." and he returned to the garden to carry out his assigned task.

"Family?" She pondered this for a moment "Yes, we are, aren't we." and smiled to herself as she let out a contented sigh.

**The End**

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**I hope you've enjoyed this.**

**I'll add an epilogue and explanation of the children's names**


	10. Epilogue and Names

**Epilogue**

Once they realised that they were all making video diaries for their children, it was agreed amongst themselves that they would start to show their children after their 9th birthdays - they'd be old enough to cope with some of the worry their parents expressed, but not so old to not enjoy the wonderful and increasingly embellished stories of daring do each parent recounted with great relish.

Lester absolutely insisted that a copy of his single entry be shown first "By way of introduction, as head of the ARC, and your boss." The gently implied threat sealed the deal (as did the great affection they all had for Lester).

And as Lester had hoped, they were all still there, happy and healthy, to watch over their children's shoulders and giggle at youthful hair and fashion choices.

-0-0-

Lester swirled the whisky in the glass, watching it coat the side. He sat back in his soon to be vacated chair and let out a sigh. In a few moments he would walk out of his office door and down the stairs for the last time. A chauffeur was waiting to drive him to The Dorchester where his wife, children and grand-children awaited him.

There were also eleven former Ministers and five former Prime Ministers, various representatives of ARCs around the world and dignitaries from the various organisations, museums and universities that worked closely with the ARC.

But most importantly_ they_ were all there - his true family - _ALL_ of them. There to congratulate him on his retirement.

Yes, Sir James Lester, Knights Commander of the Order of the Bath, was stepping down after so many wonderful years. When he first started at the ARC he thought it was one of his usual blood and guts jobs - go in, fix it, get out. But this had proved so different - it was the one he couldn't walk away from, and he was so very glad.

As he watched the film of whisky slowly dissipate he thought back. Would posterity record the ARC project as a success or failure? Sir James Lester knew absolutely that the ARC had been a huge success.

As a final gesture, he raised his glass in salute "To you Cutter, this is all your fault. Thank you." Draining his glass, he stood up, straightened his tie, smoothed what remained of his hair, walked through the office door and down the stairs.

He wandered over and patted the ADD and then turned slowly and headed for the door as the assembled day staff stood and applauded. His final act was to shake hands with his replacement - a very capable women he had carefully selected and trained himself - he was not going to hand his legacy over to just anyone! And then he passed through the doors for the last time.

He was going to miss this place!

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**A/N – I hope you liked. And now, just to round things off, a little bit of silliness to explain the children's names. I hope you approve :)**

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**Names**

Gideon John Anderson – Grandfathers Gideon Anderson (born 2089) and John Bradley (born 1795)

Elizabeth Julia Anderson – Grandmothers Elizabeth Bradley (born 1812) and Julia Anderson (born 2093)

Diana Lesley Becker – Grandmothers Diana Parker and Lesley Becker

Abigail Emily Becker - Abigail Maitland-Temple and Emily Bradley-Anderson (well, who else would it be?)

Alexander Hilary Becker – Alexander the Great and 5 previous generations of Becker men including his Grandfather Major-General Arthur Hilary Becker

Nicholas Stephen Temple – Professor Nicholas Cutter and Stephen Hart (obviously)

Thomas Daniel Temple – Connor's best mate Tom Curran (also Captain Ryan) and Danny Quinn who was missing at the time

David James Temple - Connor's father David Temple and James Lester

Leia Sarah Temple – Princess Leia Organa (Abby gave into Connor on this one, and Leia was a really strong woman, so Abby approved) and Dr Sarah Page (also Abby's middle name after her maternal Grandmother)

Nina Ella Miller – Nina Simone and Ella Fitzgerald

Robert Dylan Miller – OK, it's Bob Dylan

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**That's it – what do you think? I hope you've enjoyed reading this as much as I've enjoyed writing it. **


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